by Keith Schleicher

Sound 

     In the past integrated sound meant low quality sound.  However, the nForce2 chipset features integrated sound with a solid 6-channel AC 97 CODEC.  It also supports a 20-bit SPDIF output.  Previous to using this board, I was using a Sound Blaster Audigy card.  I was thoroughly surprised at how closely the nForce2 sounded like the Audigy.  The Windows XP start up sound has the same richness as the Audigy, and the game tests handled the surround sound without any problems.

     The one real weakness to this setup is that the NF7-M does not utilize the MCP-T media controller.  The MCP that it does use does not feature the SoundStorm audio subsystem.  Instead, the MCP utilizes a 3rd party audio codec that handles all sound functions via software.  Using the MCP-T for this board was not an option due to the cost restraints Abit put on the design. 

FSB Overclocking 

     To test the front side bus, the CPU multiplier was decreased as the FSB was increased.  In testing, when the CPU was set to 9 and the FSB set to 200 MHz, the PC booted up instantly without any problems, posted, and loaded Windows XP.  However, when trying to run 3DMark2003, the PC always locked up.  This probably is not so much a board problem, but rather my CPU did not want to run at 200 MHz FSB.  Using a true 200 MHz FSB chip from AMD could allow the board to run quite a bit higher than 200 MHz.

     With the multiplier set at 10 and the FSB set at 185, the PC was able to run 3DMark2003 without any problems.  However, the power needed to be cut off completely, including the power on the power supply, to get the PC to post.  Then the F1 Key needed to be pressed to continue the boot up process.  Any MHz setting under this booted up without a problem. 

Conclusion 

     Abit has taken the nForce2 chipset and provided a full-featured board.  However, the board has been a bit of a paradox.  Here are a few conclusions I draw from this sample: 

1. The integrated video should make the board accessible to newcomers and average users who don’t care about 3D graphics.  However, the quirks the board exhibits might create more headaches for someone putting together a simple system for Internet, email, and word processing.
2. Once a video card is placed in the board, swapping out the memory or putting in the IDE connections can be a hassle, but the dual channel DDR architecture really helps the bandwidth and speeds up the overall performance.
3. The BIOS is filled with tweaks that Abit is well known for.  The overclocking enthusiast will be very pleased with all the different options available.
4. Other extras such as the 2nd ethernet port and SoundStorm functionality provided by using the MCP-T vs. the MCP are sorely missed.
5. There are no serial ATA connections, which limits hard drive choices for future upgrades.

     Overall, once I was able to get the board working, I was pleased with the performance.  However, the initial problems definitely made the installation process of this board very frustrating.  Once running, it is a solid board, but be ready for the possibility of some initial problems.  This seems to be a hallmark of Abit boards, but a quirk that probably keeps enthusiasts coming back.  It can be a challenge getting an Abit board to run as it should, but when a user is up to it, the results can be impressive.

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